Machine for catching boll-weevil.



.N0. 886,5s5. PATBNTBD MY 5, 1908.

l l W. M. an R. J. MUCURDY.

MACHINE FOR GATGHING BOLL WBEVIL.

APPLICATION IILD OCT. 28. 1907.

wilaya. f

`a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W6 i ff J220i-neg;

5180.888585. PATBNTED MAY 5. 1908.

' W. M. & R. J. MUGURDY.

MAGHINE 08 UATGHING BOLL WEEVIL.

APPIUATION FILED 00128 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.laser/eey' Np. 886,535. PATENTED MAY 5,1908.

W. M. & R.`J. MUGURDY.

MACHINE FOR CATGHING BOLL WEEVIL.

APPLICATION IILBD 0CT.Z8. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wzzessesb wILLiAu MCCURDY AND ROBERT i. McoUanY, or eoUsiIArrA, LoUIsiANA MACHINE FOR CATCHING BOLIl-WEEVIL..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, ifeos.

Application led October 28,'1'907. Serial No. 399,537.

To ,all 'whom it may concern: i l

Be it known that we, WILLIAM M. MC- CURDY and 'ROBERT J. McCU-RDY, citizens of the UnitedStates, residing at 'Coushatta, in the parish of Red River and State of Louisiana, (whose post-office address is the same,). have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Catching 'Boll- `Veevil, of which the following is aspecii'cation.

This invention relates to insect catchers and destroyers, and has special reference to a machine for catching boil weevil.

' The object of the invention is to provide. a sulky machine adapted to be drawn through a cotton field for the purpose of removing boli weevil from the cotton plants and catching such insects in the machine for destroying them.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine'for catching insects, certain devices operated by the sulky-wheels of the machine asY it is drawn through the cotton iield or other field of plants having boli weevil or other inseetsthereon, for removing such insects.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in an insect catching machine, a suction apparatus into which and from which the insects are discharged, and means for operating such apparatus from the wheelaxle of the machine as the latter is drawn through a field of plants having insects thereon.

The object still further of the inventionis to piovidc a straddle-row sulky with apparatus for removing boil weevil from plants by pneumatic suction, and to provide s iecial means operated by the draft of the sul ry for operating the said suction apparatus.

The object still further of the invention is to provide a special pneumatic suction appay ratus having insect induction pipes, and insect discharge pipes, leading into deposit boxes or receptacles carried with such apparatus by a straddle-row sulky.

Other objects, advantages and improved i' results are attainable in and through the.

special'eonstruction and arrangement of arts hereinafter to be more fully describe and articularly pointed out inthe claims to foll ow.

vation with the sulky-seat, wire-gauze and' wheels removed. Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line y-fy, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the linee-*z/ Fig 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailA perspective views (partly broken away) of the suction pipes and their controlling devices. i

The sulky comprises the usual frame 1, tongue 1, wheels 2, seat 3, and axle 4. The axle 4 is provided with clutches 5, operated by a pair of clutch-bars 6, pivoted to the ends of a cross-head 7 having a rod 8 adapted to be turned in hangers 9l by a suitable handlever 10, controlled by a pawl and ratchet' 1 1 and connected to the rod 8 by links 12. I't is obvious that by yworking the hand -lever the rod 8 -is turned which turns the crossheads 7 to swing the clutch-bars 6 and thereby slide the 'clutches 5 in and out of mesh with the wheel-hubs.

The suction apparatus for drawing boll weevil from cotton plants consists of a pair of fan-casings 13, a pair of fans 14, secured to and revolved by a shaft 15, journaled in bearings 16 -of a pair of plates 17 secured to the sulky-bed 18; an induction pipe 19 for each fan-casing, a discharge pipe 20, om each fan-casing, branch pipes 21 extended from the pipes 19, and suctionpipes 22 and'23 suspended from the branch ipes on each side of the machine, by ilexilile pipe-couplings 24. The ipes 19 are supported from the bed-by stan ards 19a. The pipes 22 and 23 are arranged in pairs, one pipe (22) of each pair reaching to near the ground and the other pipe (23) of each pair being shorter and having an inturned end 24a. Flexible movement of the pipes 22 and`23 is controlled by spiral springs 25,' and hand cordsv26 working through slliieaves 27, and attached to wires 28 secured to ldie pipes 22 and 23. The

said springs limit the backward movement of the pipes 22 and 23 and the latter may be raised and swung forward by pulling the hand-cords 26. -This arrangement and operation is desirable owing to the irregularity catch box'es 30, hooked to and depending from the drum-heads 29. A shaft 31 journaled at 32 extends through the drums 28u, and each end of the'shaft 31 is provided with a Wheel 33 revolved in the drum-heads 29,

1 5 and having a Wire-gauze 34 on one side and lbrushes 35 on the other side, such brushes Work against a Wire gauze 36 which covers the opening 37 in thev outer end of the drumheads to dislodge any Weevil that may be on the gauze 35; and the Wheel gauze 34 Works against stationary brushes 37 L, for the same purpose, so that nofweevil may lodge on the drum-heads, or on the end of the drums.

The mechanism for operating the fan- 52 shaft 15, and ythe drum-shaft 31 from the s ulky-axle 4, comprises a gear 39 iXed to the axle, a',gear 40 meshing with the gear 39 and -iiXed to a shaft 41, having a bevel-gear 42 meshin With a inion 43 on a shaft v44, as a beve -gear 45 ,meshing with a pinion 46 on a sha t 47, a belt 48 from a pulley 49 on the shaft 47 to the pulley 50 drives the fan-shaft 15, and a belt 51 from la pulley 53 on the axle 4, to a pulley 52 on the drum-shaft 3l, drives this shaft. l A drag composed preferably of leather strands 54 depends from the front of the sulky-rame in the path of the suction-pipes, for the: purose oi brushing the We'evil from the cotton P plants and agitatin them, so -that they may e more convenient ycaught by the suctionpi es. The axle 4 being coupled to the su kywheels, it is obvious that as the machine isdriven through a field of cotton l .(straddle row) the driving mechanism is operated from said axle, the Weevil being disturbed by the drag are drawn into the suction pipes to the fan casings and thence through 'the drums and drumheads into the catch,-

boxes.

Having thus described our invention what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letn ters Patent is:

' L In a boll Weevil catching machine, the

55 combination, with suction apparatus, of a pair of drums each having a drum-head through which the Weevil are driven from the drums for removal, and means for operating the agparatus from the 'axle of the machine. 2.

n abollweevil catching machine, the combination, with suction apparatus, lof a pan' of drums each having a drum-head ceases.

through Which'the Weevil are driven from the drums, a shaft extending through the drums, 'a Wheel on each end of Athe shaft 'for directing theweevil from the' drum-heads, means for operating the apparatus from the machine aXle and means for operating the shaft from the axle of the machine. l p

3. In a boll Weevil catching machine, the

combination, with drums, and drum-heads having an opening covered by gauze, cfa

Wheel revolved in each oi said heads, brushes on the Wheels to engage the gauze, brushes on the tace of the drums to engage the wheels, and means for operating the Wheels.

4. in a boll Weevil catching machine, the combination, with drums, and drum-heads having an opening covered by gauze, of a Wheel having gauze on one side thereoiand brushes on the other side for cleaning the drum-heads, brushes inf the said heads for. cleaning the Wheelgauze, and means for revolving the Wheel. y

5. In a boll-weevil catching machine the combination, with apairof fan-casings, a pair of drums yeach! having an o en end and the other end connected to one o thecasings, a ian for each casin and insect induction pipes to the casing, ot a air of Wheels one in each drumfhead, a shaY t common to .both drums, means for operating the fans, and means or operating the drum shaft simultaneously with the fans. l

6. In a bollweevil catching machine, a suc tion apparatus comprisin a fan-shaft, a fan on each end of the s ha t, an independent casing for each Jfan, a discharge pipe extend- 'y ing forwardly from the periphery of each casing, a Weevil pi e projecting centrally from one side of eac casing op osite the draft ends and extending rearvvarsuction pi es connected With the saidweevilpipes, iiexi le connections for'suspending the suction pipes, flexible means for controlling the movement vol'j the suction pipes, and means for driving the fan-shaft from the aide of the machine.

7. In a boll weevil catching machine, the combination, with a pair of fanecasing's, a wevil pipe projecting from one side of each casing and terminating in branch pipes, of pipes having a iexible connection with the branch pipes and depending from the latter in pairs, springs to limit the backward moveY ment of 'the depending pipes, and hand cords for directing the u Ward and forward movement of the depen ing pipes.-

8. In a boll Weevil catching machine, the combination, with a pair of an-casings hav ing suitable fans therein, a fan-shaft common to both casings and having a pulley between the casings, a pipe rejecting from each casing opposite the' en s of the'shaft and adaptp ed to conduct the Weevil into thecasings, and

l l. (l

means to drive the. sha-'lt from the axle of the 1 In witness whereof We hereunto set our machlne, ol a separato drum lor each casmg, hands in the presence ol two Wltnesses.

tu .n y AY plpes Connoctmc om Lnd ol the (huma u 1th u, HJLI A1 l M' MCCURIB i the caslngs and adapted to Carry the weevll l r l i *p f I into the drums, drum-heads through which i B0B I" J' MLUIXDX' the weevil are discharged from the drums, a Witnesses: brush-wheel revolved n each drum-head, and WV. l'l. WAMsLEY, a driven shaft for revolving said wheels. l. LO'UKET'I. 

